Alright, let’s talk about these Nathan Aspinall darts I’ve been messing around with.
I’d seen ‘The Asp’ play, obviously, and his throw looked pretty smooth. Got curious about the darts he uses. You know how it is, you see a pro doing well and think maybe, just maybe, their gear might give you a little boost. So, I decided to give his darts a shot.
Getting Started
First off, I had to actually get my hands on a set. Did a bit of looking around online, found a set in the weight I usually prefer, around 22g I think it was. Ordered them up. Waited a few days, parcel arrived. Felt like a bit of a kid opening them up, hoping they’d be magic wands or something.
Pulled them out. First impression? They looked decent enough. Nice design, felt solid. The grip was the main thing I noticed straight away. It’s got these specific cuts, different from what I was used to. Felt a bit unusual in my fingers initially.
The Practice Grind
So, I headed straight to the board. First few throws were… well, let’s just say they weren’t pretty. All over the place. Kept snatching them or releasing them weirdly. That different grip definitely took some adjusting.
Didn’t give up though. Spent a good chunk of time over the next few days just throwing. Focused on finding a consistent grip point that felt comfortable with those cuts. Tried holding them further back, further forward. Eventually, I found a spot that felt sort of right.
- Focused on consistency
- Tried different finger placements
- Threw hundreds of darts
It wasn’t instant success, far from it. There were frustrating moments where I felt like chucking them in the bin. But I stuck with it. Slowly, slowly, I started getting a feel for how they fly. They seemed quite front-weighted to me, which suited my throwing style reasonably well once I adjusted.
My Takeaway
After a good few weeks of consistent practice, I felt like I’d gotten the hang of them. My grouping started to improve a bit, felt a bit more confident stepping up to the oche. They didn’t magically turn me into a world champion, of course not. Darts is mostly about the player and the practice, not just the arrows.
But, finding equipment that feels right for you definitely helps. For me, after putting in the effort to adapt, the Aspinall darts felt pretty good. The grip, which was weird at first, actually gave me a consistent reference point once I got used to it.
So yeah, that was my journey with the Nathan Aspinall darts. Started out of curiosity, bit of a struggle to adapt, but ended up quite liking them after putting the practice hours in. Worth trying if you fancy something different, but like any dart, you’ve gotta see if they work for your throw.
